Police warning after officers rushed to scene when man claimed he ‘stabbed his sister’

Emergency services attended the scene within minutes

Cambridgeshire Police have issued a stark warning after officers rushed to a scene when a man claimed he had “stabbed his sister”. The force was contacted earlier this week by a man who calmly said he needed paramedics and police because he had stabbed his sister.

Officers were immediately dispatched and attended the scene alongside ambulance crews within minutes. But when trying to engage with the caller and keep him on the line, another call handler received a web chat from a person reporting that they were watching a man on live stream, reporting a fake stabbing to police.

Cambridgeshire Police said officers at the scene were met with an empty house, and a “very confused, sleepy woman” who came to the door, knowing nothing about the 999 call. At this point, the man had disconnected the 999 call, and couldn’t be contacted further. After a search of the property, and the nearby area, officers determined that this call was a hoax, and there was no stabbing that actually occurred.

A spokesperson for the force added: “Sadly, hoax calls like these are a regular occurrence for our call takers, who are just trying to do their job and help people in genuine emergencies. Each hoax call ties up officers who could be responding to real emergencies and people who genuinely need help.

“On this occasion, a crime was raised for malicious communications which will be investigated by officers. Misuse of 999 and hoax calls are a criminal offence. You could face a maximum penalty of up to six months in prison or a fine of £5,000.”